Graduate Student
Education:
BA in Political Science from Hunter College, New York, with minors in International Relations and Economics.
Bio:
Maya (she/her) grew up in Tunis, Tunisia, where early exposure to migration and refugee movements inspired her interest in international governance and refugee integration. She earned her BA in Political Science from Hunter College and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research examines post-conflict security, development, and migrant integration, with a comparative focus on the Middle East and Latin America.
Following her undergraduate studies, Maya has gained professional experience at the United Nations, supporting programs across East Africa and Southeast Asia in capacity-building, research, reporting, and communications. She also contributed to Security Council engagement, drafting diplomatic communications and supporting high-level meetings on situations in Sudan, Ukraine, Palestine, Haiti, and Libya. Additionally, she has experience across North Africa, conducting research on migration, social protection, and regional policy, and supporting workshops and youth engagement in Tunisia, Libya, and Morocco.
Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, with additional proficiency in Spanish, Maya has a proven track record in supporting projects and conducting research in multicultural and international settings and is committed to advancing sustainable peacebuilding in post-conflict regions.